The Kissing Contract

Chapter three

From: GabiLincon@hotmail.com

To: Jellyellie33@yahoo.co.uk

Subject: HOW COULD YOU?

Elle! I can't even believe you'd say something like that! You know she uses my laptop too right? And guess what? She saw your snaky little message about her! How could you even say that I don't like her when it's a complete and utter lie!

I can't even believe you.

Now I'm not allowed to go out to this uber cool party and NYC with my friends and I have to do some shitty shopping with Chloe like she's my mum. It's gonna be such a drag- she likes all that cheap shit...

Ugh. No wonder Nate doesn't want you when you act like a little snake all the time.

Hope you're having more fun than me babe.

-Gabi

-*-

"I saw Nate with a new hoe today. Wonder how he met her?" Tina ponders allowed and I try not to wince as she mutters to herself. Just the mention of Nate's name makes me want to recoil and I try not to think about how easy it was be to around him, his lips on mine, how my hands fitted perfectly into the groove of his shoulder when he held me.

"Uhhuh," I mumble, my only response as I stare into my biology book in the hopes to retain some of the information through osmosis. Not that it works; I've been reading the same page for half an hour whilst trying to stuff chips into my mouth (half of them are scattered across the table because I couldn't fit five in at the same time).

"Elle are you even listening to me. For once could you just care about the dreamy boy you live next door to?" my best friend huffs, clearly annoyed at my lack of interest at her gossip. I roll my eyes and place my book down, scanning the canteen for any glimpse of a gossiper.

I swear they are ninjas. Disguised and poised. Ready to take down any girl that stands in the way of them and Nate Myers.

Not that I'm really posing a threat.

"Tia I'm really not that fussed about it. He can do what he wants."

My eyes are moving of their own accord now, trying to find a glimpse of dark tousled hair and a smouldering smirk. But I can't find him anywhere.

My heart sinks in my chest and I turn back to the table defeated and throw Tia a small smile. "Can I have a chip?" I ask, reaching over without her permission to grab it from her full plate. Mine was cleared a long time ago in amongst the pages of a crappy biology book.

She sighs, staring at me for a moment, her blue eyes searching deep into the bags under mine and the flush of my cheeks. "Are you OK, Elle? Is it me talking about Nate all the time because honestly if you want me to stop I can."

"Tia. Just stop saying his name. It's not because you go on all the time it just reminds me of-" I clamp my mouth shut in fear of the words spilling from my lips. Tia frowns at me, confused at my sudden outburst. She tosses her honey blonde hair over her shoulder and fixes me with a stern look.

"OK something is definitely wrong. What's up babe?" Her perfectly pruned eyebrow is raised in my direction and she hardens her gaze. I sigh, running a hand down my face before leaning closer to her over the table.

"I'm only telling you this because I can't tell anyone else and I know you'd understand."

Her features morph into confusion, her mouth open wide for a second. "Not even Lee?"

I almost don't catch her words over the buzz of the canteen noise. The café is alive with laughter and chat, everyone is talking over one another, desperate to be heard. I nod, my heart pounding hard in my chest as I push the words out to form some kind of coherent sentence. "Nate- I- We-We've been kinda seeing each other."

Tia stares at me, her eyes wider than the Grand Canyon, her mouth agape. And even though I knew I'd have this shocked reaction, a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, pressure has been released from my heart and I feel a little lighter than before.

"Girl, how long has this been going on for?" she mumbles, her painted lips finally closing.

I shrug trying to act nonchalant, but it fails as I think back the months of summer, the months of sneaking around, the months of making out, the months where I finally found a part of myself.

I push the memories back and let my eyes settle onto my best friend's. "All summer."

Tia tries not to gasp; she's desperately holding back all the questions she begs to ask and I'm grateful. I expect some kind of annoyance that I never told her, but she merely utters two words that make my heart sink a little.

"I'm sorry."

I scrunch my eyebrows together and shoot her a confused look. "What are you on about?"

She sighs and pulls away from me, I copy her, reaching for another chip from her plate; she pushes it towards me with a small smile. "I kept going on and on about those girls he was with and who he was sneaking around with. I probably made you feel like shit."

I never really thought about it. It never once occurred to me that I would take offense to her banter. It's just something Tia does- admire boys from afar whilst bitching about the girls they are with.

"I never even-"

She cuts me off with a wave of a hand. "Don't lie to me Elle. It must have upset you a little bit like just a minute ago when I mentioned him with another girl-"

Just as she's about to continue, another voice enters our conversation along with a new tray of food on the table for me to try and steal. Two arms wrap around me after the tray is placed in front of us. I smile as lean into Lee as he speaks- but his words cause my heart to drop.

"Has Elle got a mystery lover. Ooh, are you having a secret love affair," Lee punctuates his line with a booming laugh as if he's told the funniest joke in the whole world. I try to stretch my smile but I can just feel my heart falling deeper and deeper into my stomach as if it's chained to a thousand stones.

I was so absorbed in my conversation that I didn't even hear him approach out table. He could've heard anything. He could've heard everything.

Tia registers my shocked and pained facial expression in an instant. "No, we were talking about Logan Lerman- he has a new babe."

Lee mumbles an 'Oh' and settles into the seat next to me; I mouth a 'thank you' to Tia and turn to Lee with a smile. The conversation takes a sudden turn to my ex friend as Lee reminds me of our conversation last week. "So, has anyone said anything about Gabi and what she's been saying about you?"

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Lee it's not a big deal, it's just what she does. Besides, I have you and Tia- you guys are the only friends I need." I smile properly for the first time all day and lean into Lee. He wraps one arm around me as he picks at his plate of food. I sneak a chip when he's not looking causing a laugh from Tia. Lee glares down at me playfully as I stuff the chip into my mouth.

Lee's arm stays around me for the rest of our lunch break, but I can't help feel as though I'm missing something. The laughter in my mouth is tired. My chapped lips are forcing a smile.

I'm wishing that the arm around me was muscular. I'm wishing that soft lips would leave a kiss on my forehead and I'd be pulled in and turned around to face those beautiful green eyes that melt my heart every single time.

But he's not there.

I hate that he's not there.